Their Top Ten
by Kitsune Moonstar
Summary: An overheard conversation gets Nanao thinking.


Author's Note: I do not own Bleach or its characters.

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**Their Top Ten**

Nanao set aside her pen for a moment and flexed her fingers. They had started to cramp up a little after hours of filling out paperwork. Letting out a soft sigh, she reached for the cup of tea resting on her desk. Nanao sighed again when she found the cup was empty. Still, she should probably take a break. Collecting her tea cup, Nanao rose from her desk and made her way to the Eighth's kitchen. It would only take her a few minutes to fix a new cup of tea, and then she could be back to work on the annual reports.

As she was putting the kettle on to boil, Nanao decided that it would be more efficient to make herself a pot of tea. That way she wouldn't have to come back to the kitchen every time she needed a refill. So she slipped into the pantry in order to find a tea pot. And that was why the two shinigami who entered moments later didn't see her.

"So it really works?"

"I'd say so. I mean I used it to help choose between the two of them, and we both agree I made the right choice."

"You just made a list of your ten favorite things about each of them?"

"Well, I couldn't come up with ten things for Masato, but yes."

Still giggling and gossiping, the two women left the kitchen, and Nanao finished brewing her pot of Lady Grey tea and assembling a tea tray with the cream and sugar in peace. Nanao returned to the office with her tea and got back to work. Still, something about that overheard conversation must have stuck with her as she found herself jotting down notes on a spare piece of paper as she worked.

_One: He never serves me green tea, no matter what._

As much as Nanao loved to drink tea, she absolutely loathed green tea. And Shunsui Kyoraku was one of the very few people who consistently took that fact into consideration. More often than not when he served her tea, it was black tea complete with the three sugars and milk that she liked. He even seemed to remember that she liked adding honey if was available. When it wasn't black tea what Captain Kyoraku served her was one of the herbal teas that he seemed to like. He seemed partial to mint blends, but there had also been the odd cup of chamomile or raspberry tea.

_Two: He never underestimates my abilities._

That was less of a problem these days, but that hadn't always been true. And while Shunsui Kyoraku had never seen her as anything less than competent, Nanao had needed to prove herself time and again to other shinigami. Her age and appearance had been a major factor in that. She had been so relieved when she finally looked like an adult. Of course, she had been the Vice-Captain of the Eighth Division for several years at that point. But every time that anyone had questioned Nanao's abilities, either with kidou, or her zanpakutou, or just in general, her captain had been a firm presence in support of her.

_Three: He doesn't assume that he knows better than me when it comes to my fields of expertise._

The Eighth Division did not operate like the rest of the Gotei Thirteen in a number of ways. For one thing, Nanao was in charge of all administrative tasks and organization, even the things that traditionally were done by the Captain. Shunsui had long ago decided that since she was competent at it, and he was not, that it would be her realm to deal with. To be fair, he dealt with much of the training work with their division members that Vice-Captains typically did, though he did have her do any advanced kidou instruction that was needed. He had always claimed that she was much better at it than he was. And the few times people had challenged her leadership, he had always been solidly in support of her.

_Four: He is a good teacher._

Given how lazy the man was, that probably would surprise most people, but it was true. One of the reasons that her captain did much of the training for their division was the fact that he enjoyed, and he was very good at it. More than once Nanao had watched him exercise seemingly endless patience as he worked with someone struggling with one aspect of their sword work or another. Nanao herself had been nothing more than adequate with her sword work until her captain had taken her under his wing. Shunsui had spent hours working with her, and he had never lost his temper or given up on her even when she was certain she would never master her zanpakutou.

_Five: He knows when to leave me alone._

It was true. The times when Nanao really and truly needed to be on her own and left alone she was. Nanao did not exactly thrive on company and social interactions, and there were times when she just needed some time alone to recharge her batteries so to speak. Of course conversely, the times that she claimed that she wanted to be alone but really wouldn't mind some company, Shunsui tended to show up. Nanao never knew how he knew the difference between them. But he did, and she appreciated it.

_Six: He knows when I need someone._

There were times when Nanao did need someone, and her captain had the uncanny ability to know when they were. He wasn't always the person who ended up seeking her out, but Rangiku had checked on her enough times because Shunsui had said something for Nanao to know who was responsible. And truthfully, Shunsui could be very good at providing either comfort or a distraction when she needed it. He was one of the few people who had seen her tears or had really heard her laugh.

_Seven: He can make me laugh._

Shunsui Kyoraku was one of few people that Nanao could count on to make her laugh. Rangiku was one of the others. But often under her irritation with him was hidden a real smile, and more often than not, once the man had left, Nanao had found herself giggling at his antics. Her captain not only had a wonderful sense of humor, but he also had a talent for knowing just when humor was needed. Nanao may not have realized just how useful it when she had started at the Eighth, but over the years she had seen how her captain used it to defuse tense situations or to buck up flagging spirits. And he could always give her a laugh when she needed one.

_Eight: He's willing to debate literature with me._

That would seem like an odd thing to many people. Nanao was well aware of that. But very few people Nanao knew were really willing to get into much of a discussion about literature with her, let alone a debate. Of course, she and Shunsui did share the same tastes in literature for the most part, but they still found elements to argue about. It was something that just the two of them really shared, and it was one of the unique elements of their relationship. And so she found it one of his more endearing traits.

_Nine: His loyalty to those he cares about._

To Nanao's mind, it was one of Shunsui's best traits, even if it had gotten him in trouble more than once. After all, it had been his loyalty to Captain Ukitake that had led the two of them to challenge the Commander-General during the Ryoka Invasion. Of course, that loyalty didn't always manifest in such dramatic ways. Nanao was probably one of the few people who knew that Shunsui had worked to smooth things over when Byakuya had married Hisana. It was in the little things as much was the big things that he showed that loyalty and care, and Nanao quite honestly loved him for it.

_Ten: He always made her feel like she belonged._

Nanao had barely ever felt out of place or inconvenient in the presence of her captain. From the beginning he had made her feel like the Eighth was where she belonged. Even when she had just been a little girl, Kyoraku had taken the time to know her name and who she was. Nanao had never forgotten that. After Lisa's disappearance, he had seemed to make it a special duty of making sure that he checked in on her frequently. Of course, he had also teased her and started flirting with her as she got older, but if Nanao was honest, she didn't mind the attention as much as it seemed. Shunsui was in large part what made the Eighth her home, and she loved him for it.

She didn't really give much thought to the list once she had completed it. At some point she set her cup of tea down on it, and then when a pair of hysterical Ninth and Tenth Seats exploded into the office with something they desperately needed her to sort out, Nanao forgot all about it. Which probably wasn't the best thing to do, but it really wasn't that surprising either.

The list came back into her mind several days later when it reappeared on her desk. With amendments. In very familiar handwriting.

_One: She always leaves me a pot of tea when she drags me home from a bar._

It was true, though Nanao tended to do it because she wanted her captain functional as soon as possible. But it was nice to know that it was appreciated. Of course, it probably helped that she had never left him a pot of green tea. He couldn't stand the stuff any more than she could. Fixing the pot of peppermint tea was simply part of her routine for dealing with her captain when he was drunk.

_Two: She has the ability to turn complete chaos into order in the blink of an eye._

That was a blatant exaggeration. It often took her several hours to accomplish that. Still, it was a fair description of what she often did for the division. It wasn't entirely her captain's fault. Nanao was fair about that. Shunsui was an excellent captain, warrior, and strategist. Organization and administration were not among his talents. That was what Nanao did for the division, and it was good to know he appreciated that.

_Three: She's willing to indulge my silliness at times._

Nanao actually laughed at that. His silliness so often was intended to cheer their division. How could she not indulge it? Besides, more often than not, the only silliness that she had to put a stop to was his ridiculous attempts to seduce her. Her captain's playful nature really was rather amusing most of the time.

_Four: She never boasts, just displays a quiet competence that impresses._

Now that made Nanao blush. She was competent, but quite honestly, she wasn't anything special. Most of the other lieutenants were just as skilled as she was. They might not all share the same talents, but Nanao knew that she could easily be replaced. Still, the fact that her captain was clearly proud of her and her skills gave Nanao a warm feeling inside her chest.

_Five: She has a lovely voice, both for speaking and for singing._

One of her captain's better kept secrets was the fact that he had both perfect pitch and perfect relative pitch. It made bad or out of town music incredibly obnoxious to him. While Nanao had never really considered herself much of a musician, she could she why he would appreciate her voice. If he'd had to deal with some whose voice made his skin crawl every day (and there had probably been some time in his long life where Shunsui had been stuck with just that), he had all the more reason to appreciate her voice.

_Six: She knows how to listen to others._

Nanao blinked at that one. It didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary. At least, it was a role that she was used to. People came to her they needed someone to just listen to them. She did her best not to judge and just offer comfort if needed. There really wasn't anything special about that. She'd been doing it since the academy.

_Seven: She knows when to break the rules._

A giggle slipped out at that one. Of course her captain would appreciate her rule breaking. Though it wasn't often. In fact, Nanao could count on one hand how many times she had broken the rules. Well, she had broken the letter of the rules. She would argue that most of the time she obeyed the spirit of the rules. Like when she had sided with her captain and Captain Ukitake about Rukia Kuchiki's execution.

_Eight: She knows how to fight with me._

Nanao knew the distinction he was making. Shunsui Kyoraku had fought along side Jyuushiro Ukitake for any number of centuries. They had their techniques down to an art. Fighting with someone was not the same as fighting along side someone. Nanao might not have fought with Shunsui as long as his friend had, but she had honed her own battle skills to mesh with her captain's. Together they made a fairly formidable pair. Her captain might not enjoy fighting, but he liked to have someone he could trust to guard his back, and Nanao was happy to be one of the people he trusted to do that.

_Nine: She goes out of her way to take care of people._

Nanao didn't think it was really going out of her way. Rangiku needed a friend at time who she could just be silent and serious with sometimes. And it was just common sense to know what she could do if Captain Ukitake had an attack while she was around. And someone had to make sure Captain Kyoraku didn't drink himself to death or get injured as he drunkenly made his way home.

_Ten: She is one of the most loyal people I know._

There wasn't much Nanao could say to that. She had learned about loyalty from her captain. He was the best example she had ever had on the subject.

"It's a pity the list is limited to only ten things. I can think of many more things that I love about my Nanao-chan."

Nanao started at the sound of her captain's voice. She hadn't realized he had woken up from his nap. She stared at him not quite sure what to say. The young woman knew that she was blushing, and Kyoraku's smirk was not helping matters any.

"Still, it's a good list." He got up off the couch and stalked over to her. "And it was fun watching you read it. You really are adorable, Nanao. Isn't interesting how similar our lists are?"

He snatched the piece of paper out of her fingers and stole a kiss. And Nanao let him. Just this once. And she wasn't at all surprise when the next week a framed copy of the list appeared on their office wall. It was a bit silly and sentimental, but it was part of who they both were and what made the Eighth what it was.


End file.
